Food conveyer or heater



Oct. l5, 1946. R. J. sAuNAcl-l 2,409,528

FOOD COHVEYER 0R HEATER Filed arch 13, 1944 4 ShBBtS-Sht 1 UY JBA UNA :H

Oct. l5, 1946. R. J. sAuNAcH Q FOOD CONVEYER 0R HEATER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed lmnp 13, 1944 gmc/wie@ En' J .EAUMUH Oct. l5, 1946. n. J. BAuNAcH2,409,523

Foon coNvEYEn on HEATER Filad lar-ch 13, 1944 4 Shoots-Shoot 3 um f@ wwww.

Oct. l5, 1946. R. J. BAuNAcl-l 42,409,528

FOOD CONVEYER 0R HEATER F1144 arch is, 1944 4 shuts-snm 4 gmc/HM EWL/AUNALH www1.

Patented Oct. 15, 1946 F@ CONVEYER 0R HEATER Roy J. Baunach, Toledo,Ohio, assignor' to The Swartzbaugh Manufacturing Company, Toledo,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 13, 1944, Serial No.526,295

9 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to food heaters of the conveyer typecommonly used in hospitals.

These conveyers are usually of the truck type A adapted to hold aplurality of cooking recepta- `cles and are capable of being closed toprevent escape of heat therefrom. The conveyers customarily contain oneor more top heating or warmingv compartments adapted to ,be closedagainst the escape of heat by one or more cover members and havingprovision for the mounting of one or more food receptacles therein. Theorder, number and shape of such receptacles as to each compartment isfixed, however, or not changeable to suit the quantity or kind of fooddesired, thus restricting the use of the conveyers- The primary objectof the present invention is theeprovision of aconveyer of this characterwhich is adapted to have various orders, numbers, sizes and shapes offood receptacles mounted therein to suit the particular use or demand,thereby broadening the scope of use and enhancing the commercial andeconomic value of the conveyers.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a food conveyer, ofmeans adjustable 0r operable to permit a heating or warming cornpartmentthereof to be occupied by a single large food receptacle or to beconverted into two or more sections for receiving receptaclesofpredetermined number, shape and size to suit the demands andrequirements of the particular use to which applied.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an open top warmingcompartment for receiving food receptacles through the top thereof andhaving a drawer in its lower portion which may carry independent foodreceptacles, or which, up-` on the omission of such receptacles, mayreceive the lower ends of deep receptacles placed in the compartmentthrough its top opening.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description and from the accompanying drawingsillustrating one embodiment thereof, and in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view, in partially open position, of a food conveyerembodying the invention, and with one arrangement of foodreceptacle-receiving spaces in its top; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan viewthereof, with parts broken away, and with a diierent arrangement of foodreceptacle-receiving spaces; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical'section ofthe conveyer showin-g one arrangement of food receptacles, with partsshown in dotted lines in open or partly open position; Fig. 4 is anenlarged fragmentary vertical section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2, withone cover member open and with a receptacle shown in dotted lines aspartially withdrawn; Fig, 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section on theline 5 5 in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section, similar toFig. 4, but taken in a slightly different position, with a division barshown in folded or unusable position; Fig. 'I is a fragmentary sectionon the line 1-1 in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary to'p plan viewshowing the several division members in usable positions and withportions broken away; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary top perspective view ofthe cabinet, with parts broken away and showing a modification oftheside division bars, and Fig. 10 is a section on the line I0--IIi in Fig.9.

Referring to the drawings, I designates the hollow body of a foodconveyen which is of rectangular form in cross-section and is supportedby wheels 2 to facilitate movement from place to place, as is customarywith suchconveyers. `In the present instance, this casing is provided inits lower portion with an oven compartment 3 closed at opposite ends bydownwardly swinging doors 4, and is provided in its Iupper portion withone or more open top warming compartments 5 closed on top by a pair ofhinged covers 6, 6. In the present instance, there are two compartments5 separated by a partition 1. The covers 6, when closed, seal thecompartments against the escape of heat. The bottom of the ovencompartment 3 is formed by a casing 8 and the bottoms of the warmingcompartments 5 are formed by a hollow casing 9 that separates saidcompartments from the oven compartment 3. One or more electric heaters,shown at I0 in dotted lines, are mounted in each of these casings andare separately controlled, as is customary in the art.

A sliding drawer I2, preferably of skeleton form to facilitate thecirculation of heat through the bottom, sides and top thereof, ismounted in the lower portion of each compartment 5 for an inand-outmovement through an opening I3 in a respective side of the vbody casing,and in the present instance in opposed relation to the partition 'I.When a drawer is in closed position, its outer end cooperates with thebody casing to close the opening I3. Each drawer is of less height thanthe compartment 5 to form a space thereabove within the compartment. Inthe present instance, the drawer height is about one-half that of thecompartment.

Each compartment 5 is adapted to receive one -or more food receptaclesII, il', and the may be of various shapes, sizesand depths, depending onthe desired use, and some may be positioned in and carried by thedrawers I2. For instance. if short receptacles .I5 are used. one or moremay be placed in a drawer to be moved in and out therewith, so thataccesa may be had to them by merely-opening the drawer and withoutopening the covers i, and one or more other short receptacles I5 may atthe same time be mounted in the portion of the compartment above thedrawer, being suspended therein from the top oi' the compartment andclosed at their tops by the covers 6. Thus access may be had to eitherthe upper or lower set of receptacles without disturbing the other set.4r, if it is desired to use deep receptacles I', as shown at the left ofFig. 3, the short receptacles may be omitted from the respective draweril and the deep receptacles, which are mounted in the top portion of thecompartment, be extended down and into the drawer. In this case, ofcourse, the drawer 'cannot be opened until the receptacles have beenwithdrawn.

The receptacles l5, i5' have outwardly turned edge anges i6 at theirupper open ends for engagement over supporting parts oi the drawers andthe top portion of the body casing. lIn the case of the drawers, theseanges engage over their top side and end edge portions and possibly overcross pieces in the drawer, as is apparent. In the case of thecompartments, each is provided around its upper edge with an inturnedreceptacle supporting ange 20, and the space within this ange may bedivided into two or more receptacle receiving openings by bars 2| and22, in the provision and adjustability of which one oi' the features ofthe invention resides.

'I'he bar 2|, in the present instance, extends entirely across the opentop of the compartment and is pivoted at one end for horizontal swingingmovements toa block 24 that is mounted for sliding movements on a fixedguide-rail 25. This rail has anged retaining engagement with the blockand is xediy mounted on a slight incline on the compartment wallbeneaththe iange 20,

as best shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, so that when theY block is at or nearthe upper end of the incline the bar 2| stands with its topsubstantially flush with the top of the flange 20 and when at or nearthe lower end of its movement the bar 2| is lowered sufficiently topermit it to be swung into out-of-way position under the flange, asshown in Fig. 6. It is thus apparent that the bar 2| may be swung tousable position crosswise of its com-- partment intermediate opposingsides to divide the compartment into two side sections for receivingrespective receptacles I5, or it may be placed in unusable positionunder the iange 2li to adapt the compartment for receiving a singlereceptacle of a cross-sectional size substantially the same as that ofthe compartment. The free end of the bar 2| is provided with a tongue 26which is adapted to engage over a suitable support 21 (Fig. 9) beneaththe ange 20 at theopposite side of the compartment to that carrying theguide-rail 25, and thus be supported in usable position.

The purpose of the bar 22 is to divide each side section into twosections to adapt it to receive two smaller receptacles, such bar beingshiftable to usable position, as shown in Fig. 8, or to unusableposition under the flange 20 at one lside of the compartment. To enablesuch shifting, each bar 22 is mounted at its outer end rela- 4 tive tothe bar 2| on a iianged guide-rail 30 that is secured in inclinedposition to the adjacent side inclines downwardly toward such latterside wall,

so that the bar 22 may be positioned under the flange 20 at a side ofthe compartment or laterally shifted to usable position therein todivide the side section of the. compartment in which it t is disposedinto two sections, as shown in Fig. 8.

The incline of the guide-rail is such that when the bar 22 is in usableposition, its top surface is substantially flush with the top surface ofthe flange 2li and when shifted to unusable position the bar is loweredsuiliciently to permit it to pass vfreely under the side portion of theange which it parallels.

In Figs. 9 and 10 the side section dividing bars are shown as comprisingremovable bars 22, which have tongues at their ends that are reieasablyengageable by lateral shifting movement witha respective slot 35 in thebar 2| and a suitable support 38 on the respective side of the bodycasing and which forms a supporting ledge for the tongue. This barmay bequickly released or engaged with the bar and casing support by ahorizontal swinging or twisting movement, and its principal objectionover the use of the sliding bar 22 is that it is not a permanent part ofthe conveyer, and might, therefore, become lost or misplaced.

It is apparent that by the use of the shiftable bars 2| and 22 or 22, awarming compartment 5 may be easily and quickly adapted to receive alarge receptacle which is substantially the size 40 of the openingwithin the ange 20 by placing the may have receptacles mounted thereinwhich are l substantially as deep as the compartments, in which casethey will extend down into the associated drawer I2, or shorterreceptacles may be mounted in the upper portion of the compartment andother short receptacles mounted in the registering drawer. This enablesa compartment to take care of either one or more deep receptacles ofvarious sizes or a plurality of short receptacles which may have variouscross-sectional sizes depending on the size of the compartment sectionin which positioned. If receptacles are mounted in a drawer and also inthe upper portion of the associated compartment, either those in thedrawer or those in the upper portion of the compartment may beinspected, removed or replaced without disturbing the others or exposingthem to the cooling outside atmosphere.

It will be understood that while the features embodying the inventionhave been particularly shown and described in connection with a foodconveyer, they apply equally as well to a food heating or cookingapparatus either of the sta tionary or portable type.

I wish it understood that my invention is not or form of the parts, asit is capable of numerous modications and changes 'without departingfrom the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A food conveyor having an open top compartment into which one or morefood receptacles may be suspended, a bar, means whereby said bar ispivotally and slidingly attached at one end to `a wall of the receptacleadjacent to its top whereby the bar may be swung into and out ofdividing relation to the top portion of the compartment and may have aninclined sliding movement lengthwise of such side wall and whereby thebar may be raised to receptacle supporting position in the compartmentand may be lowered a predetermined extent relative to the top of thecompartment when the bar is slidingly shifted a predetermined distancefrom said position.

2. In combination, means forming an open top compartment with a marginalinwardly extending edge flange at its top, a guide-rail attached to alwall'of the compartment beneath said flange and inclined downwardlyfrom the plane of the ange, a block slidable on said rail lengthwisethereof, and a bar projecting from said block and shiftable therewithfrom a position under the flange to a position within the open top ofthe compartment to divide it into a plurality of sections and tocooperate with the flange to support receptacles in suspended relationin said sections.

3. In combination, means forming an open top compartment with a marginalinwardly extending edge flange at its top, an inclined guide-railattached to a wall of the compartment beneath said ange, a blockslidable on said rail lengthwise thereof, and a bar projecting from saidblock and shiftable therewith from a position under the ange to aposition within the open top of the compartment to divide it into aplurality of sections and to cooperate with the iiange to supportreceptacles in suspended relation in said sections, .the incline of theguide-rail being such that the bar is raised a predetermined extentwithin the compartmentwhen it is moved from the former to the latterposition.

4. In combination, means forming an open top compartment, a. guide-railattached to one wall of said compartment near its top and extendingcrosswise of the compartment, a block mounted on said rail forlengthwise shitting movements thereon, a bar pivotally attached at oneend to said block and adapted to extend therefrom across the' open topof the compartment to divide it into two receptacle receiving sectionsand to be swung from such lposition to an unusable position at the sideof the compartment to which said rail is attached.

'5. In combination, means forming an open top compartment, an inclinedguide-rail attached to one wall of said compartment near its top andextending crosswise of the compartment on an incline, a block mounted onsaid rail for lengthwise shifting movements thereon, a bar pivotallyattached at one end to said block and adapted to extend therefrom acrossthe open top of the comi partment to divide it into two receptaclereceiving sections and to be swung from such position to an unusableposition at the side of the compartment to `which said rail is attached.

6. In combination, means forming a compartment having an open top, a baradapted to extend across the open top portion of the compartment todivide it into two receptacle receiving sections and to cooperate withthe marginal edge wall of the opening to support receptacles insuspended relation'within the sections of the compartment, and means forpivotally mounting the bar at one end to a wall of the compartment topermit it to be swung to usable position across the compartment openingor to unusable position at a side of the compartment and to serve as asupport for the bar when in usable position.

'7. A combination as called for in claim 6 wherein the pivotal movementsof the bar are horizontal together with means for supporting the pivotedend of the bar for predetermined bodily shifting movements crosswise ofthe wall to which it is mounted.

8. A combination as called for in claim 6 together with a second bar,means whereby said second bar may be supported between said pivoted barin its usable position and an opposed marginal edge wall of the topopening to divide one of said receiving sections into tworeceptacle-receiving sections.

9. A combination as called for in claim 6 together with a second bar,means whereby said second bar may be detachably interengaged at its endswith said pivoted bar when in compartment-dividing position and with anopposed marginal edge wall oi the top opening to divide one of saidreceiving sections into two receptaclereceivlng sections.

ROY J. BAUNACH.

